[Vision2020] Interesting Report by S&P on Michigan's Govt Schools
John Harrell
johnbharrell@yahoo.com
Tue, 4 Feb 2003 21:26:08 -0800 (PST)
Hello Melynda Huskey,
You wrote:
> I suggest that we start by agreeing that (absent evidence to the contrary)
> Moscow parents are making the best educational choices they can for their
> children, and that we all have a stake in improving and broadening those
> choices.
Do the "choices" regarding education also include a proper funding model?
Or does it still assume that the government steals from every property owner
to fund only one type of those "educational choices?"
I say let freedom ring and "choice" for education be left to the parents.
If some parents choose to send their children to a public school, then THOSE
parents should fund the public school. For the parents who choose to send
their children to a private then let THOSE parents fund the private school.
Pretty straight forward and "fair for all."
Cheers!
John Harrell
--- Melynda Huskey <mghuskey@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Dear Ben,
>
> Help me understand what you're trying to achieve when you offer this
> statement:
>
> "Children handed over to the government for the state indoctrination will
> rarely have the same kind of parental involvement and dedication that
> families choosing private education have."
>
> Is there a way for us to understand that assertion *except* as an attempt to
> polarize the conversation into debate?
>
> Could we try--as Carl Westberg asked just moments ago--to avoid having the
> old arguments, maybe even try to start a new and potentially productive
> conversation?
>
> I suggest that we start by agreeing that (absent evidence to the contrary)
> Moscow parents are making the best educational choices they can for their
> children, and that we all have a stake in improving and broadening those
> choices.
>
> Melynda Huskey
>
> "The things that make us happy make us wise." John Crowley
>
>
>
>
>
> >From: "ben merkle" <benmerkle@moscow.com>
> >To: <vision2020@moscow.com>
> >Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Interesting Report by S&P on Michigan's Govt
> >Schools
> >Date: Tue, 4 Feb 2003 13:50:20 -0800
> >
> >Bob,
> >I grant your point. It's apples and
> >oranges. Silly thought of mine to even try and compare them.
> >Ben Merkle
> >
> >
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Bob Hoffmann" <escape@alt-escape.com>
> >To: <vision2020@moscow.com>
> >Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 12:30 PM
> >Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Interesting Report by S&P on Michigan's Govt
> >Schools
> >
> >
> > > At 12:09 PM 2/4/2003 -0800, ben merkle wrote:
> > > >A closer look could be very rewarding. Would anyone be up for comparing
> >the
> > > >Moscow High numbers with a local private school to see who is getting
> >more
> > > >out of their dollar?
> > >
> > > Sounds like the same false logic that I mentioned. The proper
> >perspective
> > > would be, Who is willing to compare Moscow High numbers with a local
> > > private school, taking into account family income, parental involvement,
> > > student nutrition, etc.? If you look at high school student performance
> >in
> > > Potlatch it seems like you are looking at two different schools: One
> >that
> > > is low-performing, given student grades, and one that is
> > > high-performing. The fact is, Potlatch only has one high school, but a
> > > rare double-bell curve in terms of student performance, due in part to
> >the
> > > vastly different backgrounds that the students come from.
> > >
> > > >----- Original Message -----
> > > >From: "Bob Hoffmann" <escape@alt-escape.com>
> > > >To: <vision2020@moscow.com>
> > > >Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 11:53 AM
> > > >Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Interesting Report by S&P on Michigan's Govt
> > > >Schools
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > It would be interesting to take a closer look at the numbers. I
> >know
> >for
> > > >a
> > > > > fact that many inner city schools (in "slum" areas) have higher
> >expenses
> > > >in
> > > > > some categories. For instance, they frequently must pay a higher
> >wage
> >to
> > > > > attract teachers. This cannot compensate for students who come to
> >school
> > > > > hungry, who have uninvolved parents, who may have a higher drug use,
> > > > > etc. In complicated areas like health and education, a simple look
> >at
> > > > > spending vs. performance is quite pointless. Speaking of which, the
> >U.S.
> > > > > government is said to spend more on health care than any other
> >Western
> > > > > nation, but it gets less for it. That's obviously not a case of
> >"we're
> > > > > spending too much," but a case of "we're not having the intended
> >effect
> > > > > with our dollars."
> > > > >
> > > > > Bob Hoffmann
> > > > > 820 S. Logan St.
> > > > > Moscow, ID 83843
> > > > >
> > > > > Tel: 208 883-0642
> > > > >
> > > > > At 09:44 PM 2/3/2003 -0800, John Harrell wrote:
> > > > > >Standard & Poors releases data on state's public schools
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cg
> > > >i?g9383_BC_MI--SchoolRatings&&news&newsflash-michigan
> > > > > >
> > > > > >The Associated Press
> > > > > >2/3/03 5:27 PM
> > > > > >
> > > > > >LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- More than half the school districts that
> >spent
> > > >more
> > > > > >per
> > > > > >student than the state average had below-passing rates on the
> >Michigan
> > > > > >Educational
> > > > > >Assessment Program test, according to an analysis of the state's
> >public
> > > > > >schools.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >Standard & Poor's School Evaluation Services released a report
> >Monday
> > > >that
> > > > > >analyzed trends in the state's public education system from 1996-97
> >to
> > > > > >2000-01.
> > > > > >It's the second comprehensive report about Michigan's public
> >schools.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >The division of Standard & Poor's, known for rating businesses,
> > > >government
> > > > > >agencies and even other countries, tracks where taxpayer dollars go
> >and
> > > > > >analyzes
> > > > > >if spending increases boost student performance.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >The Statewide Insights report showed that of the 181 school
> >districts
> > > >that
> > > > > >spent
> > > > > >more per student than the state average, 92 had below-average
> >passing
> > > > > >rates on
> > > > > >the MEAP. Of the 343 school districts with below-average spending,
> >171
> > > >had
> > > > > >above-average MEAP passing rates.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >Other highlights of the report:
> > > > > >
> > > > > >--The graduation rate increased from 80.7 percent of students in
> >1997
> >to
> > > >86.3
> > > > > >percent in 2001.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >--Per-student operating expenditures grew by 19 percent from 1997
> >to
> > > >2001,
> > > > > >nearly twice the cumulative inflation rate of 10.2 percent.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >-- The average administrator's salary rose 12.3 percent while the
> >average
> > > > > >teacher's salary increased by 8.4 percent.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >Cheers!
> > > > > >John Harrell
> > > > > >
> > > > > >__________________________________________________
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> > > > > >_____________________________________________________
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> > > > > > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> > > > > > http://www.fsr.net
> > > > > > mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
> > > > > >ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > _____________________________________________________
> > > > > List services made available by First Step Internet,
> > > > > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
> > > > > http://www.fsr.net
> > > > > mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com
> > > > > ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
> > > > >
> > > >
>
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